Got Lucky
by ComeToMeGarnet
Summary: James didn't think that he would've ever dreamed of lying under the alolan sun, happy, relaxing - and shamelessly in love. But then again, he never thought that Faba would invite him to watch the Masked Royal battle optionally.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, and welcome to my fanfiction! Please give me any feedback as it would be great and it helps me what to do next. **

**Don't worry, this also isn't full of porn, so you can stop worrying now XD I want this to just be a sweet fic about their cute little relationship. And on that note…**

**Enjoy!**

James slumped down further, resting his chin on his arm. With a low moan, he closed his eyes.

"Come on! Can't someone come!" Jessie muttered behind him, leaning against the wall.

"I guess no one cares 'bout our snacks anymore." Meowth yawned, stretching out his tail and brushing James's ankle.

It was barren in the street; not a Pokémon or person was in sight…apart from themselves, that was.

It was, like all other plans, a good idea at first – sell their special donuts at the Pokémon Mall entrance. Their vision was that tonnes of people would come running after a hard day's shopping and tuck into their tasty snacks. But now, as James eyed the street hopelessly for any life, that vision was slowly fading and getting buried with their other failures. He was now at the point that he was hoping for Bewear to come so he could snuggle back into the mini blanket fortress he had created earlier that morning (an amazing structure if he said so himself).

"What I don't understand," James mumbled tiredly, sighing, "is why no one is here…this mall usually is crowded."

"I agree." Jessie sighed. She opened one eye, looking up at him. "Why don't you see where everyone is, hmm?"

"I don't see why you can't do it." James replied, not moving from his slouch. His hat slid slightly down his forehead.

"I'm too tired!" Jessie said dramatically, closing her eye again. "Why should someone as _beautiful _as me get up now, when someone else could do the same job?"

"I'm pretty too!" James stamped his foot, energy returning conveniently. "That's not fair!"

"No offence James…" Meowth began, yawning again. "…but I think Jessie is prettier than you." The Pokémon sat down next to Jessie, stretching his legs.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet agreed, saluting. James rolled his eyes, dramatically pulling off his jacket.

"Fine." He muttered. He began pulling on his boots that he had recently brought – he saw them in a small shop a few days ago and had purchased them; he liked the array of zips and buckles decorating them (of course, Jessie had been jealous once seeing them, demanding that she had them. James had stood his ground until she gave up, sulking). Standing upright, he stretched until his bones cracked and trudged down the miniature steps that lead to the door of the small van. Despite his apparent "mood", James was careful not to step on Meowth's tail, or stub one of Jessie's exposed toes.

"Be back soon." He said, fumbling with the handle of the door and pushing it open.

"Oh!" Jessie said before throwing a small pouch of money at him. James tried to catch it but it slipped through his fingers. No change there. "Get us some nice drinks each, would you?"

"Yeah! Make mine some of tha' pinap berry juice!" Meowth added. James nodded, smiling slightly.

"Any other requests?" He asked Jessie. His colleague waved a dismissive hand at him, pulling her hat over her eyes.

"Surprise me." She replied.

"Can do." James stumbled as he stepped out of the van, shutting the door quietly behind him. Instantly, the famous alolan sun warmed him to the bones, making him sigh happily. Tucking the money safely in his pocket, he looked upwards at the sky, relishing the sunlight spreading across his face.

He did really like it in this region. Out of all the places he had been to, this was by far his favourite. With its sandy beaches and beautiful sunsets, it had won his heart immediately, to the point where he was dreading leaving the place. He loved his new Pokémon and the new place he, Jessie and Meowth would be taken to each night under the arms of Bewear – he knew, deep in his heart, that he would miss this place dearly when it was time to leave.

Smiling at the warm breeze tickling his cheeks, James took his time walking to the other side of the street, preferring the outdoors to the cramped insides of the van. He skipped slightly over the opposite pavement and peered into the glass double doors before pushing them open and taking a step inside.

To his surprise, only a few shoppers were seen moving between stores with a few colourful plastic bags – much less than James was expecting. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear, he hesitantly made his way to the centre of the mall where he knew the best drinks were sold, fully aware of how his footsteps echoed on the polished floors. He peered around corners and in shop windows, but it all seemed empty, like it was closed. Even, when investigating the food court, the restaurants were empty, making him thoroughly confused. The atmosphere was something like a horror movie, and made him nervous. However, he did notice an odd number of posters dotted around the walls but didn't read them, more focused on the shop windows.

As he walked, James became more aware of a noise that grew louder with each step he took. After walking a couple more metres, he realised that it was someone talking, probably out of a large megaphone.

"_Ladies, Gentlemen and Pokémon, don't we have an exciting announcement to make today!"_

Curiously, James hurried he pace, turning a corner. Cheering and clapping grew louder until James could barely hear his own thoughts, and after a few more hurried strides he came across the source of the noise.

A huge crowd were gathered around a man with a megaphone, and they were screaming and laughing in excitement. Tilting his head slightly, James moved closer, peering through the crowd.

"_Yes, that's right!" _The megaphone boomed, making James jump. _"You have been waiting for this all day, and I can now reveal…" _the man announcing paused for dramatic effect, and James found himself leaning closer despite only just entering the crowd.

"…_that the Masked Royal will be battling here tomorrow night!"_

James gasped, eyes widening, before screaming hysterically. The Masked Royal…battling here? James couldn't believe his luck. The mall was so close, and so convenient to get to, that it was almost like a dream. Just in case, James pinched himself, yelping slightly in pain. When he opened his eyes, the crowd was still cheering around him and he joined in.

"_Yes that's right!" _The announcer shouted, grinning. _"So get you, your friends and your family ready for eight o'clock tomorrow night, where the Masked Royal will up against four different opponents!" _

James cheered enthusiastically again before quietening, stepping away from the eager crowd. At the announcer's words, James couldn't help but feel a bit out of spirits. He did badly want to go, but more importantly, he wanted to go with someone else at his side. It was great watching the Masked Royal – in fact, it was the best – but he felt like it would be better if someone came with him. Somehow, he didn't think that Jessie or Meowth would be willing to go; they (strangely) weren't too fussed about the show, and would often only go because James had begged them too. However, they refused fully to go the last time the Masked Royal was battling, leaving James to go on his own. James, being the type of person he was, didn't let the rejection get to him, not blaming them in the slightest. But it did leave him partner-less.

"_So eeennnjoy the show!" _

James straightened up suddenly, smiling. He could still go on his own, easily.

"I can still have a good time!" He said to himself, smiling. "The Masked Royal is always fun to watch!" Forgetting about the promised drinks, James ran out of the mall again, eager to share the news with his friends. He dashed across the road and burst back into the van, breathless. In his haste he tripped over Jessie's outstretched foot, slamming hard on his face. His head made contact with a hard box and he yelled, black spots dancing in his vision.

"Ow…" he muttered, closing his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Jessie asked close to his ear, and James felt her brush some of his hair out of his face.

"Never been better." James replied, still refusing to open his eyes.

"You proper fell there, James!" Meowth said from his right. "Looked like you really did a number to ya head!" James didn't reply, instead focusing on the throbbing in his head.

"Why did you burst in like that?" Jessie asked, helping him sit up. "You looked like you were – your bleeding." His colleague gently wiped some blood off his brow. James gently touched the injured area, wincing.

"Ouch." He repeated.

"I'll get one of those mini bandage things." Jessie moved from her crouch and pulled out the small green box they used when accidents like this happened. James smiled sheepishly.

"Thanks." He leant back against the wall, closing his eyes.

"Why did ya fly in like dat anyway?" Meowth asked. James, remembering the news, opened his eyes again, grinning excitedly.

"The Masked Royal is battling tomorrow!" He announced, eyes sparkling. "It's going to be so cool!"

"Dat's the guy that battles several people at once, ain't it? The one with the mask?"

James nodded.

"He is the best battler the world has seen!" He rambled . "He battles so easily! He has never lost a match to date!"

"Hold still." Jessie asked. James tried, but he was still shaking in excitement.

"Can you imagine? Here!" He grinned, clasping his hands together. "It would be great to see him live!"

"I said hold still!" Jessie ordered, placing the large, white plaster on the injury.

"Oops. Sorry."

"Ya really are excited 'bout this, ain't ya?" Meowth asked. James nodded again.

"Well, you can go if you must." Jessie said, putting the rubbish in the small bin next to them. "But I'm not going this time. Beauty and glamour are more for me." She said, posing.

Hiding his slight disappointment, James agreed.

"I agree. I'll be fine on my own, don't worry." He reassured, smiling. He stumbled upwards, using the wall to support himself. He touched the plaster gingerly, pleased to find that it didn't hurt as much anymore.

"Where's my pinap juice?" Meowth whined, scanning the floor. James facepalmed, groaning.

"Oops. I forgot." He admitted. Jessie turned to him, frowning.

"You were that excited that you forgot our drinks?" She questioned. "Wow. This guy must be a big deal for you."

"He is truly the best!" James fist-pumped the air, momentarily forgetting their dilemma.

"I suppose I'll go and get them then." Jessie yawned, shifting from one foot to another. Wanting to rectify his mistake, James shook his head.

"Allow me, I insist." He said. "This was my fault, so I should go get them."

"Aww, that's nice of ya." Meowth said, grinning. He sat down in his previous place and, after nodding her head, Jessie followed, pulling the hat back over her eyes.

"Can't argue with that." She muttered. James smiled, stepping over them.

"Won't be long." He exited the van once more, shutting the door carefully. Once out of his teammates' view, he let his shoulders slump, exhaling deeply.

"Stop being so stupid." He told himself, putting his hands into his pockets. "You knew they wouldn't go, so why bother getting upset?" However, his words didn't fool his heart, and he sighed again, sitting down on one of the benches on the other side of the road. It wasn't often that he felt as glum as he did now – especially after hearing such great news – but once he did it consumed him, making him unaware of anything else.

The wind picked up suddenly, tugging at James's hair. Closing his eyes, he leant back, smiling softly at the breeze.

"Why on earth are you looking so miserable?" A male voice asked. Jakes opened his eyes and saw a blond man staring down at him. For a moment, he didn't recognise who he was – until he pushed up his emerald glasses, raising a critical eyebrow.

It was the man from the last Masked Royal show, and the one before that. He always seemed to run into him in the arena, and they had their fair share of strange adventures each time they met.

Currently, the man was wearing a large lab coat filled with various science-looking things. It was strange seeing him like this – usually James had only ever seen him in his famous Masked Royal shirt that matched his own.

"You have no right to – not after hearing the news." The man continued, eyebrow raising further. For a moment, his eyes flashed with undisguised excitement, as if even referencing the Masked Royal was thrilling.

"I'm not miserable." James defended, folding his arms. "I just chose to sit here on the bench, that's all."

"That's all, hmm?" The blond said. His eyes narrowed. "Well I can't stand here watching someone sulking when it should be such a joyous occasion!" With a huff, the man sat down next to him, crossing his arms.

"Well I didn't ask you to stay here, so no need to get into a huff!" James retorted. There was silence for a few more seconds, but then it seemed that the man next to him couldn't contain himself.

"Come on, spit it out!" The blond ordered. "What kind of thing has put you down to the point that the Masked Royal can't cheer you up?!"

"Nothing, so you can stop _harassing _me." James shuffled slightly away moodily. Then, his anger deflated out of him as quick as it came, leaving him flopped against the bench.

"No one is going with me." James admitted, closing his eyes.

"Going with you…?" The blond next to him questioned.

"To the Masked Royal battle." He explained, opening his eyes again. The wind ruffled his hair, making a few strands dance in the air. "And it kinda sucks."

"Hmm." The man leant back, pushing up his glasses again. "Well."

"Well?"

"It makes logical sense, as I am going alone too, for me to accompany you to this event." The blond said, looking at James out of the corner of his eye. James turned to him, surprised, and studied him carefully.

"You would do that?" He questioned. He thought he saw the man blush slightly, but it was gone as quick as it came.

"It is logical sense. I would simply be wasting an opportunity if I were to not to accompany you." The man replied cooly. He stood up, brushing nonexistent dirt off his lab coat. "We'll meet here at…I'd say seven?"

"Sounds good to me." James replied, smiling. He watched as the man nodded shortly and turned, walking away.

"Wait!" James yelled, standing up. The blond turned, raising an eyebrow again.

"What on earth do you want now?" He asked.

"I didn't catch your name." James said, tucking his hair behind his ear. The man hesitated before turning around to face him. A slight smile tugged at his lips.

"Faba." The man said. "My name is Faba." James smiled again, waving.

"See you then, Faba." He said, turning to go into the mall. His smile grew wider as he walked. Once he was safely around the corner, he jumped into the air, laughing.

**Hehe.**

**PLEASE READ**

**I will not be updating this in a while! I will only update if the story is popular enough, otherwise it will just stay as a one shot. So please, please give me some kind of sign whether you like it or not! Even if it is a **** or a **

**Thanks bros.**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I'm back for another round…yeah. **

**Thanks to Hybrid of Fate and Warhammer4life for giving me their advice. Thanks **

**And on with the show I guess**

James couldn't wipe the grin off his face as they drove back to their base. He barely noticed the suspicious looks Jessie was shooting at him from the corner. He just kept sipping on his bubbly drink, feeling bubbly inside.

"Ok – what are you grinning at?!" Jessie demanded as soon as the van skidded to a halt. She stepped out of the door, pulling off her jacket to reveal her uniform.

"Who, me?" James copied her, hanging his own jacket onto the passenger seat. He hid his smile behind his can. "I'm just excited for the Masked Royal, that's all that's to it."

"Hmm." Jessie leaned closer towards him, eyes narrowing. James stepped back, smile vanishing.

"Nothing else, I swear!" His voice was more of a panicked squeak. Jessie frowned, pursing her lips.

"I don't believe you." She stated, peering closer. "There's something – "

"What's wrong?" Meowth jumped out of the van with Wobbuffet behind him.

"James is hiding something." Jessie pouted, stamping her foot. James felt an embarrassed blush creep onto his face. Seeing an opportunity, he ducked under Jessie's outstretched arm, stumbling as he spun to face them.

"It's nothing! Nothing apart from being excited for the Masked Royal!" He tried to reassure. For reasons even unknown to him, he wasn't keen on telling Meowth and Jessie that he was going to the battle with someone else. Though he trusted them with his life, something at the back of his mind was telling him to keep this private.

Meowth tilted his head, staring at James.

"I don't see nothin' different 'bout him." He stated, blinking owlishly. James raised his hands in an attempt to be casual.

"See! Nothing!" He reassured his teammate before sipping on his drink again, biting the straw between his teeth. Jessie looked at him strangely for a few more seconds before yawning, stretching out her arms.

"Well I'm starving." She announced loudly.

"Yeah, I can agree on that!" Meowth grinned.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet saluted.

"I wonder whether my pudding is still in the fridge…" James wondered aloud, glad that the topic had dropped. Jessie parked up at the sound of "pudding".

"You have a pudding?" She asked slowly. James nodded.

"Yeah, got it yesterday…why?" Too late he realised that Jessie and Meowth were racing into the base.

"That pudding is mine!" Jessie screamed, kicking Meowth out of the way. The Pokémon dodged, running as fast as his legs could carry him. Which wasn't that fast.

"Hey! That delicious treat has got my name on it!" He yelled, punching forward.

"Guys!" James dashed after them, panicking. He spend most of his money on that pudding, and it was worth it; it was called "The Chocolate Deluxe" and was partially made up of thick, creamy chocolate with marshmallows. To finish, it had whipped cream glazed with honey and chopped pinapberries. Been thinking about it made his mouth drool.

"Don't eat my pudding!" James wailed, skidding across the leaves and indoors. "I brought it! It's mine!"

Jessie was already peering into the fridge, rummaging around with both her hands. Meowth was on her shoulders, helping her search. James watched, helpless, as Jessie pulled out the dessert.

"Ha ha!" She held it up high, waving it around like a toy. "It's mine!"

"Mine too!" Meowth argued, scrambling up His colleague's arm, waving a paw to try and reach it.

"Hey! Stop that!" Jessie tried to shake him off angrily but the Pokémon refused to let go. "Am amazing beauty such as I should get first dibs!"

"Yeah, but you ain't no beauty!"

"Take that back!"

"Only if ya give me that yummy puddin'!"

"Guys…" James reached forward, plucking the pudding out of Jessie's outstretched hand. The two in front of him stopped fighting immediately, staring at him.

"No fair!" Jessie stomped her foot, trying to grab it off James. "I wanna eat it!"

"Yeah! That ain't yours to keep!" Meowth added, folding his arms. James began to take a few frightened steps back, holding the pudding behind his back.

"Well, technically it is mine…" he muttered. He looked at his friends, expression softening. Maybe he didn't have to eat it all himself. "I am going to share it, though."

"You will?!" Jessie grinned, eyes shining. She laughed. "Great news!"

"Thanks, pal!" Meowth was also grinning, licking his lips.

"Come on then!" James ran to the table in the centre of the room, grabbing a spoon as he went. He eagerly began opening the dessert. A scrape of chairs told him that Meowth and Jessie had sat on either side of him, both excitedly awaiting their share.

"And…" James dropped three portions of pudding into each bowl, smiling. They were the exact same size, which was incredibly satisfying to him.

"Let's eat!" All of them said together before beginning to eat greedily.

"This is even better than I thought it would be!" Meowth said happily, licking his spoon. James hummed in agreement.

"Too right." He glanced at the clock and realised with a pleasant jolt that it was only one more hour before he would leave to meet Faba. He didn't even know why he was excited so much – at first he thought it was the thrill of seeing the Masked Royal live, but he was now suspecting it was something more, put he couldn't place a finger on it. Maybe it was the fact that he was going with someone new and strange – Faba had certainly acted a little strange when they met briefly, constantly raising his eyebrow critically and looking at him out of the corner of his eye…

"Hello?!" A shout pulled him out of his thoughts and he was quickly met with a face full of plastic.

"Ow..." He muttered, pulling the plastic pudding pot from his face. Next to him, Jessie had her arm outstretched.

"You didn't have to throw that at me…" James whined, rubbing his cheek.

"You weren't answering me!" Jessie replied, folding her arms.

"Oh, sorry…go on."

Jessie huffed.

"As I was saying," she continued, "I was asking whether we should try our luck at the gorge again soon."

James blinked a few times, processing what she said.

"Oh…Pokemon catching…yes." James glanced at the clock again, feeling another tingle of excitement. Only forty-five more minutes till he would leave to meet Faba.

"Hmm…I don't like those Grubbins that hang around there though…" Meowth moaned, shuffling his feet. James raised his eyebrow, turning his gaze away from the clock.

"What's wrong with Grubbin?" He questioned, surprised.

"They look at me funny!"

"Sorry to break it to you," Jessie said, inspecting her nail, "But you do speak our language - it's not something you see every day…"

"You sayin' I'm funny?!" Meowth stomped his foot, outraged. "I ain't!"

"Oh yeah?" James shared a look with Jessie and she smiled, nodding. Slowly, he stepped towards Meowth. "Do normal Pokémon get ticklish?"

Meowth tilted his head in confusion whilst Jessie crept behind him, her arms outstretched.

"Yeah…some do. Why?" The Pokémon questioned. James eyed Meowth out of the corner of his eye.

"No reason…" he muttered, smiling.

"You ain't a good liar so what's goin' on?!" Meowth demanded. Comically his eyes widened.

With a yell, Jessie and James pounced, pinning the small Pokémon on the floor and tickling his stomach. Meowth burst into laughter, kicking his legs with tears leaking from his eyes.

"Admit that you are weird now?" Jessie asked, moving to tickle his back paws. The Pokémon shrieked with laughter, trying to squirm away.

"Yeah! Okay! I'm weird!" Meowth breathed. James released him, grinning.

"Though you are a pretty good member of team rocket…" he said, ruffling his fur.

"I'm the best member the world has seen!" Meowth declared, swatting his hand away. James snorted, pretending to think.

"I'd say…six out of ten." He said. The Pokémon let out a noise of disagreement.

"You're just jealous!" He shouted, pointing at him.

"Ahh…you got me." James sighed, shaking his head. "My secret is out."

"Well soon seats will be sold out too if you don't get going." Jessie reminded, looking at the clock. James jumped, spinning around. It was quarter to seven, and it took roughly fifteen minutes to walk to the town…

James screamed, pulling his jacket off the chair.

"I gotta go!" He yelled, cramming a large packet of crisps into a pocket.

"Oi! Give those back!" Jessie yelled, trying to snatch the packet back. James dodged, springing to the door.

"I need snacks!" He called over his shoulder, tripping over the front step. "Cheerio!"

Jessie's cries of anger faded from his ears as he broke into a sprint, leaping over stray rocks and tree roots. Panting, he turned right and ploughed through the woodland; in record time, he stumbled onto the gravel path that lead to the city.

Satisfied that he wouldn't be late (it was a two minute walk from where he was), James let out a sigh of relief, catching his breath. As he walked, he brushed off the leaves and sticks that clung to his clothes – some even found their way into his boots. Subconsciously, he tried to tidy his lavender hair, raking out a few extra leaves.

James didn't know why he was conscious about his appearance to Faba – plenty of times before now he was quite happy walking into a public place with his team rocket uniform on; now the idea of revealing his real identity to Faba was frightening, and his stomach clenched at what his reaction would be.

"He's just a guy I'm going to see the Masked Royal with…that's all." He said to himself, stepping into the main shopping square. Warm sunlight shone across his face and he couldn't help but close his eyes, smiling.

"You took your time."

James's eyes snapped open, meeting with another pair of green. Faba was looking at him skeptically, once again raising his eyebrow. James felt a small blush creep onto his face and he looked away, tucking his hair behind his ear.

What was wrong with him? Why did he feel all…

…tingly inside?

"I'm not late, am I?" James asked, looking at Faba again. A small smile danced at the edges of Faba's lips, and the blond pushed his glasses further onto his face.

"No…just about." Faba smiled properly, gesturing to the mall entrance. "Shall we?"

Already, James could hear the eager crowd cheering inside, excited for the oncoming match. Smiling, he nodded.

"Let's get some good seats!" He said, rushing ahead. Faba kept pace with him, now fully grinning. James felt a larger smile – one that had nothing to do with the Masked Royal – form on his lips and he walked faster at the sight of some eager group of guys ahead of them, apparently having the same idea. The group were cheering and wearing Masked Royal masks, and waving little flags.

"Oh no they don't!" Faba growled next to him and he began to run. James ran with him, following the blond as he pushed through the crowd.

"Get our of our way! Coming through!" Faba called out, pulling people out of the way. James began to laugh at his antics, making the scientist turn to him in confusion.

"What?" He asked. James smiled.

"You are a bigger fan than I realised." He spluttered. Faba looked at him for a few seconds, then began nodding pompously.

"I am his number one fan after all…" he replied, pushing up his glasses again.

They were now standing in the queue that lead to the arena; crowds gathered around them until they were squashed next to each other.

"Not true! I am the biggest fan in the universe!" James declared. Faba gasped.

"No way! I have all his merchandise!" The blond boasted. James was about to argue back when they were pushed even closer. James felt Faba's hair tickling his ear and his steady heartbeat against his. Another blush blossomed on his face and he quickly looked away, moving his hair to block his expression.

"Crowds…hate them." Faba commented offhandedly, sniffing. James made a small sound of agreement, having a battle with conflicting emotions.

What on earth was wrong with him? Why was he blushing? Why did he –

"You have a stick in your hair."

James turned to face Faba again, accidentally giving him a face full of lilac locks.

"Huh?" He raked his fingers through his hair, unable to find anything.

"Here." Faba gently untangled a small stick out of his hair, gently peeling away each strand away from it. James peered at it, and found himself blushing again.

"Err…thanks." James said, smiling. For a moment, he thought he saw a faint blush rise on Faba's cheeks – however the moment left and the team rocket member concluded that he imagined it.

The couple in front of them moved inside the arena, and James hopped from foot to foot excitedly.

"This is going to be his best match yet!" James breathed, pulling off his jacket. Faba nodded eagerly, cool exterior forgotten.

"This will change the history of Pokémon forever, I'm sure of it!" The blond added. James smiled and finally, with a jerk of his hand, the security guard let them inside, handing back their belongings.

"Finally…" Faba drawled, dusting off his Masked Royal t-shirt with a slight sneer on his face. James raised an eyebrow, copying Faba's frequent expression.

"Come on…we don't want someone messing up the show, do we?" He said, beginning to walk into the arena. Loud cheers and excited screams greeted them as they walked down the hallway.

"Well they could be quicker about it – I don't see what I could be hiding under a t-shirt." Faba replied, folding his arms. James snorted with laughter, nodding his head.

"You have a good point." James slung his jacket over his shoulder, still giggling slightly. "Though I suppose you could hide something very small…"

"…if you edited pockets very accurately…" Faba agreed, thinking. He sighed suddenly, flopping his arms against his sides. "But that would be so much _effort_…"

"Agreed." James smiled, deciding to tie his jacket around his waist. When he looked up from the knot, Faba was looking at him with an unreadable expression.

"What?" He asked, blinking. Faba looked away quickly, unusually flustered. James dismissed it, brushing back his hair again.

"Nothing." Faba replied, switching back to his usual expression: a slightly raised eyebrow, a smile resting on his lips. James raised his eyebrow again before walking faster down the hall, hearing the cheers grow louder. Faba copied him, inching ahead. James, with a smile, picked up his pace, glancing playfully at Faba. Faba surprisingly returned the look and began to jog.

And they were running. Racing down the hallway, panting. James laughed breathlessly, clashing against the door. Faba did the same, almost crashing into James himself.

"I win." James panted, turning to the blond. Faba sniffed, placing his hand on the silver handle.

"It wasn't a game in the first place." He replied, pushing up his glasses.

"Oh?" James smirked.

"It was just the most efficient way to get to the end of the hallway in the littlest amount of time." Faba explained.

"Oh really?"

"Yes! True genius if I say so myself!"

"It was my idea."

"Prove it."

"I…" James snorted, bursting into laughter.

"Why on earth are you laughing now?" Faba questioned, sighing. A few loose hairs were brushing his cheek, and James had an unexplainable urge to brush them behind his ear. He felt a blush rise to his face (for one time too many in his opinion) as Faba pushed the door open, leading to a dimly lit hallway. Lights flashed blue and red as they descended down the steps, snippets of conversations deafening them.

"It's loud!" James shouted, looking around in awe. Seats were surrounding the battle arena in the traditional circle – each one of them had been lined with a soft glowing light that transitions between colours. The battle arena itself was darkened apart from one spotlight that revealed an announcer that was shouting how long left it was until the Masked Royal appeared. ("Half an hour left, folks!")

"Yes…we are in the town centre after all." Faba replied, raising his voice over the sounds. James nodded and unexpectedly stumbled on the bottom step in his eagerness to enter fully. With a yelp, he tripped over his own foot and fell with another small scream.

That was, until someone caught his sleeve, pulling him back up.

"Careful." Faba said, letting go. James grinned sheepishly. "It would be rather unfortunate now for you to have an accident, seeing as we got this far."

"Stairs an me don't mix." James said, jumping the last step. "They have a personal grudge against me."

"Best keep away from steps then." Faba raised his eyebrow, smirking.

"Agreed."

**Pleeeaaaase review! I really am not sure what people think of this, so it would be nice to get some constructive feedback. **


	3. Chapter 3

James led the way, taking Faba's wrist and finding a good place to sit: most of the seats were full of smiling children and cheering adults, so not many options were left.

"Hmm…" James scanned their surroundings, blinking in the neon lights.

"There!" Faba's voice called close to his ear, making him shiver. He followed his line of gaze and found two seats were positioned in the shadows – if Faba hadn't pointed them out, James was sure he wouldn't have seen them.

"Quick, before they go!" James called over his shoulder, taking Faba's wrist again. To his surprise, Faba didn't object to the touch – instead James swore he saw him smile.

A crowd suddenly surged past them, breaking his grip with Faba, and soon the scientist was no longer by his side. James scanned the arena for a familiar blond head. The stage was beginning to become suffocating as more people crowded his way forward, and he was shocked to find tears pricking in his eyes as each minute ticked by. He wasn't even sure why he was worrying so much; sometimes in the past he would have this same problem – feeling lost and unable to breathe – but this was meant to be fun, and Faba didn't really mean _that _much to him, surely?

_Get a grip, _James scolded himself, digging his nails into his palm. _It's only Faba, and he's not gone forever._

"Faba?" James forced the tremor out of his voice as he shouted above the booming music. "Faba!"

"Thank goodness."

James span around and, with a swoop of joy, found that Faba was standing behind him, looking a little windswept.

"I thought we got lost for a second." Faba visibly calmed himself down before scowling at the crowd. "No manners at all."

James smiled, feeling the panicked tension leave his body.

"Yeah…now lets get those seats!" James turned quickly to hide (yet another) blush that crept onto his face. He mentally cursed (he could never bring himself to curse out loud) as he wondered, in what felt like a billionth time, why he was blushing this much. It was Faba, just Faba…

James didn't take Faba's wrist like he had done, instead leading the way to the two seats that were still unoccupied. Faba followed, and James could hear him chuckling behind him.

"What?" He asked as he began to sit into his seat, drawing up his legs. The blond raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"You have another stick in your hair." He replied, sitting down.

"Wha?" James sighed, burying his head in his hands. "Not again…"

"Hold still." Faba leaned over, pushing up his glasses, and began to untangle the other stick that had somehow managed to escape unnoticed. Faba's breath was hot on his cheek, and a small strand of blond hair was tickling his forehead. James felt a drunk smile slip onto his face, feeling his heart beat faster under his ribs.

"All done."

James found himself disappointed when Faba pulled back, holding a small stick in his hand. The absence of his closeness was obvious, and he missed their limbs touching another's. It had felt nice.

"Ladies, gents and Pokémon!" An announcer shouted into the microphone. Above them, a group of comfey were throwing down some of their flowers, letting the audience catch them eagerly. James gasped in glee, reaching out to grab one.

"Here. You seem to have more joy of these than I do." Faba said. He was holding out a yellow flower in his palm.

"I…" James gently took the flower, stroking its petals lovingly. It was perfect – no tears or wrinkles of any kind, and the sweet scent of pollen filled his senses. "Thanks." He said, cupping the flower with both hands. He looked up and found Faba blushing, staring at him.

"Err…it was the most logical thing to do…that's all…" the blond stuttered, pushing up his glasses. James began to answer but was cut off by the announcer.

"This is the moment you've been waiting for!" The stage lit up, making James shield his eyes. "Please welcome, the master of the arena, the Masked Royal!"

James and Faba both cheered enthusiastically, standing up and clapping their hands. Faba let out a scream as the Masked Royal entered the stage, waving with his Incineroar next to him.

"He waved at me!" Faba babbled excitedly next to him. "Did you see?!"

The truth was that James didn't see the Masked Royal even look in their direction, but he found himself nodding, unable to crush Faba's feelings.

"Ha ha! I told you I'm his biggest fan!" Faba replied, punching the air. James rolled his eyes, chuckling, as the crowd quietened.

"Say it with me now!" The Masked Royal called from the arena towards the audience. "Three, two, one…"

"ENJOY!" James and Faba shrieked with the rest of the audience, laughing. Breathlessly, they collapsed in their seats, giggling giddily.

"And now, meet the challengers…" the announcer yelled over the screams, gesturing to the other side of the arena. James began to watch, but his gaze kept wondering back to something else. Or rather, someone else.

Faba was watching as eagerly as he was, jumping when the opponents pulled a surprise attack and whooping when the Masked Royal struck his famous pose. He was leaning forward, almost tilting off his chair, and his cheeks were flushed with joy. James, no matter what he tried, couldn't help but gaze at his face, feeling a small smile creep to his lips again. The blond's eyes were bright and, under the fluorescent lights, looked like they were sparkling.

James was aware of how they were touching each other again; being warmer than his was, Faba's body was warming up his own and slowly, James leant into the touch. James wasn't sure how long he was staring at Faba, but one stubborn thought pushed through his mind.

Faba was handsome.

_Oh no…_James's feeling were running wild and his chest tightened. _I can't be…_

But he couldn't deny the feelings that had been slowly growing throughout their night out.

_I…_

The crowd cheered wildly, Faba amongst them, but James barely noticed, staying in his seat whilst everyone around him stood.

_I'm in love with Faba._

"And the Masked Royal wins with an amazing finish from Incineroar!" The announcer yelled, and cheers followed.

"What's wrong?"

James jumped and saw that Faba was peering at him curiously, tilting his head.

"Nothing." James said hurriedly, flustered. He couldn't look up to meet Faba's gaze – he felt like the whole world was watching him and seeing what he would do next.

The flower brushed against his hand, calming him, and he breathed in its sweet scent.

"You just ignored the Masked Royal's greatest finish yet!" Fans pointed out, and James could tell even without looking at him that he was raising his eyebrow again. "I don't think that's really nothing."

_He had to get out of here._

"Well, it was…I've seen it a lot, that's all…" the lie was stupid in his own ears, but his mind was sluggish, only focusing on one thing.

James wasn't aware how long they had been sitting there until people began to filter out of the stadium; seeing the opportunity, James stood up, cupping the flower in his hand.

"I see…" Faba didn't believe him, that he could tell, but he was glad he was not mentioning it, instead rising from his seat and dusting himself with a free hand.

James quickly stumbled out of the isle, walking quickly to the exit. Faba struggled to keep up with him, jogging to stay by his side.

"Whats the rush?" The blond questioned. James didn't answer but kept walking, almost running, out of the hall and into the crowded mall.

"You didn't even stop to look at the merchandise." Faba caught up with him, panting, and James quickly glanced at him.

The scientist was confused, studying him with puzzled eyes, and his lips were a thin line on his face. He almost seemed worried.

_Don't be a twerp. _James told himself, turning the corner. _Why would he be worried about me? _

"I didn't want any." James replied shortly, feeling his chest tighten in anxiety again. The conflicting emotions crashing upon him were too much, and he wanted to escape them all.

"Well that's a big lie." Faba said. James didn't answer, instead pushing open the mall doors and stepping outside.

"Why the sudden mood change?" Faba stepped in front of him, hands on his hips. James chose to stare at the flower instead of his face, tracing the faint lines on each petal.

"Err…it just got stuffy in there, that's all." James answered. Taking a deep breath, he faced Faba, trying not to blush as he felt the blond's gaze warm. It looked almost…like he cared for him.

_Not true. _A bitter voice in his head told him. _You have only just met. _

Well, that part wasn't true.

James had been bumping into Faba for a while now, all at Masked Royal events. Both their love for the man in the mask caused them to meet more often, sometimes engaging in a random adventure together.

"Err…thanks for inviting me." James said shyly, tucking a few strands of his hair behind his ear self-consciously. He felt Faba's eyes still staring at him, so he gave a fleeting smile before stepping around the other.

"Bye." He said, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. Faba was still looking at him with an unreadable expression, and he lifted his hand in a wave.

"Wait!"

James, heart thumping, turned around, meeting Faba's green eyes with his own. The scientist had his hand held out as if he was trying to reach out to him. James stepped forward.

The sun was sinking over the horizon now, and the grounds surrounding the mall were almost empty. A light breeze had settled in the air; it was the time of day James enjoyed best, where nature was beginning to rest for the night.

"I…liked it today." Faba blurted, a blush spreading on his cheeks. He hesitated for a second. "With you. At the Masked Royal."

James watched as Faba seemed to try and calm himself, hardly daring to believe.

"I –" Faba cut himself off, shaking his head. "I thought it would be…nice if we did this again. I know that there aren't any more Masked Royal matches or anything but I was thinking tomorrow we could do something or…"

James smiled, walking closer to the flustered scientist.

"That would be nice." He replied, blushing. Faba blinked, and then returned the smile.

"It would, wouldn't it?" He muttered.

"Well where would you like to meet? And where are we going?" James asked, feeling more at ease. The flower in his hand fluttered in the breeze. Faba paused to think.

"Do you know where that tree is, a little ways away from this town?" Faba asked. When James looked blank, he described it more. "It has flowers just like that one in your hand, and it sits on its own in a big field."

"Oh yes, I remember." James replied, remembering the large tree. It was one of his favourites, and liked to sit under its branches whenever he could. "It's a nice tree."

"Is it a nice meeting place?"

James nodded, looking over to the direction where the tree was located.

"Yes." Snapping back to reality, he looked at Faba again, grinning. "And where do you want to go?"

"Well…" Faba seemed a little nervous, pushing up his glasses again. A blush was spreading quickly onto his cheeks and James could feel the same happening to his own. "I thought that…the market would be nice…we could see what's there…" mistaking James's silence as mockery, he stuttered again, looking away. "But that could be a bad idea…I don't know…"

James stared at Faba, stepping closer so they were almost touching. He watched as his emerald eyes darted from side to side, and how his hands were trembling slightly.

Unable to restrain himself anymore, James leant forwards.

_It's now or never._

A few seconds later and it was over: his lips met Faba's flushed cheek and he kissed it lightly, then hurriedly pulled away, shocked at what he had just done. Faba froze mid sentence, eyes widening slightly.

Apologies began to form on his lips, but before he could release them Faba grabbed his wrist gently. Slowly, the scientist took the flower from his palm.

"I…" James began, but stopped when he felt Faba's hand touch his hair. The flower was carefully placed amongst the lilac locks and James looked up into Faba's gentle gaze.

"I'll take that as a yes?" Faba asked softly, smiling. James weaves his fingers into Faba's own, hope soaring in his chest.

"I would love that." James answered just as softly. Faba's eyes really did sparkle that time, his smile growing.

"I look forward to it." He whispered.

Shyly, James broke his grip with Faba, wanting the moment to last longer. But time wasn't on their side; the sun had almost disappeared completely below the hills, and he knew that Jessie and Meowth would begin to worry.

"See you then…" James blushed, giving a small wave. Faba nodded, waving back.

"Tomorrow morning? Around ten?" The scientist asked. James nodded before regretfully turning away and walking towards the woodland path. Before the moved into the forest, however, he looked back, watching Faba stride in the opposite direction.

Grinning, he ran into the woods, laughing out loud.

"That worked! It actually…" James spread his arms out wide, giggling like a child. "Tomorrow…"

James stroked the flower in his hair, sighing happily.


End file.
